Princess Sphere class: Sun and Star Princess compared
Compare Sun and Star Princess: Piazza, Dome, Arena, SkyDeck, Sanctuary accommodation and Cabana Mini-Suites, with official deck plans.
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Choose Sphere when you want the ship to contribute as much to the trip as the itinerary. Sun Princess and Star Princess bring a larger, more contemporary setting to Princess: a glass-wrapped Piazza, The Dome and a theater designed around changing stage arrangements. Those spaces are the reason to look here first.
The less obvious decision is how much of the ship you want included in your room fare. Sanctuary Collection accommodation, ordinary balcony cabins and Cabana Mini-Suites solve different problems. Start with the room and daily routine you need, then decide whether the dining and entertainment choice justifies moving up from an earlier Princess design.
What matters for your decision
- Distinctive Piazza, Dome and Arena spaces give the ship a strong identity.
- The size and spread of venues require more walking and planning.
- Sanctuary Balcony and suite benefits differ; confirm Signature Suite Lounge eligibility for the exact category.
A new layout around the Piazza, Dome and Arena
Sphere changes the layout, not merely the size, of the Princess experience. The Piazza is a prominent ocean-facing social space, and The Dome combines a distinctive glass enclosure with a setting used for different activities. The Princess Arena provides a more flexible performance environment than a conventional fixed proscenium theater.
This is still a mainstream Princess cruise, with pools, youth spaces, a casino and organized evening entertainment. It is not a waterpark ship. In particular, do not choose a sailing from old launch coverage promising Park19 rides: those descriptions are not a sound guide to the current upper decks. Use the current ship plan and the current SkyDeck facilities instead.
Sun and Star Princess
| Ship | What distinguishes the choice |
|---|---|
| Sun Princess | The first Sphere ship establishes the Piazza, Dome, Arena and Cabana accommodation concepts; compare the current room benefits rather than its pre-launch category names. |
| Star Princess | Its published plan adds the SkyDeck sports court and track arrangement, with expanded seating at O’Malley’s and Love by Britto among the distinctions from Sun. |
Evening venues and the current SkyDeck facilities
The Arena, Dome and Piazza create several centers of activity. That is useful if one person wants a show while another prefers music and a drink, but it also means that a single “main theater” timetable does not describe the evening. Allow walking time between a dinner reservation and the correct performance space.
Star’s fact sheet identifies a sports court for pickleball and basketball, a jogging track and a splash pad on SkyDeck. These are practical recreation facilities, not the elaborate suspended rides described in early Sphere publicity. Choose the ship for what is operating now.
Families should look beyond the newest-ship label. The youth spaces serve different age groups, while adults have their own paid or category-restricted retreats. Check whether your preferred quiet area is available with your booking before treating it as your default sea-day base.
Specialty restaurants, Plus, Premier and separate tickets
The dining range is one of Sphere’s strongest reasons to exist. Crown Grill, Sabatini’s, Makoto Ocean, The Catch by Rudi and Umai represent different kinds of evening, and specialty experiences can occupy a substantial part of the night. Main dining and the everyday casual options remain important: a week does not require seven purchased dinners.
Princess Plus and Premier are packages, not interchangeable promises that every named venue is free. Check the version attached to your booking, the eligible meal types and any reservation requirements. Separately ticketed experiences such as Spellbound deserve their own comparison; a package name alone does not establish access.
On Star, the expanded O’Malley’s and Love by Britto spaces are specific sister-ship changes. They do not guarantee walk-in availability. If either restaurant is central to the trip, examine the current booking process rather than assuming that a slightly larger room removes demand.
Sanctuary access and Cabana Mini-Suite privacy
Sanctuary Collection is a fare-and-access decision as well as a room decision. The exclusive restaurant and Sanctuary Club can change the daily experience, but a Sanctuary Balcony and a full suite are not equivalent products. Princess identifies the Signature Suite Lounge as a suite benefit; do not assign it to every Sanctuary room.
Cabana Mini-Suites add an indoor-outdoor transition area. The Deck 9 Cabana Deck categories also involve access to a shared sun deck. Decide whether the extra space suits your party and examine how the outdoor room relates to that shared area. A balcony photograph cannot show every sight line or privacy boundary.
For a standard balcony, compare location, obstructions and what lies underneath. A premium category far from your preferred dining or activity area can introduce more walking than a less expensive room near the right elevators. Sphere’s size makes this a meaningful daily choice.
For travelers who will spend time exploring the ship
Sphere suits travelers who enjoy choosing among several dining and evening experiences and want a newer interpretation of Princess. It is particularly persuasive for a sailing with enough sea time to explore the ship.
Compare an earlier class if you value a more familiar layout, a traditional promenade routine or fewer decisions about premium areas. A port-intensive itinerary can reduce the value of paying extra for venues you will rarely use.
Pros and cons
| Advantages | Compromises |
|---|---|
| Distinctive Piazza, Dome and Arena spaces give the ship a strong identity. | The size and spread of venues require more walking and planning. |
| A broad restaurant choice supports travelers who make dining part of the trip. | Premium accommodation and experiences can raise the trip cost substantially. |
| Several accommodation concepts allow different balances of space and private-area access. | Launch-era descriptions and room names can misrepresent the current product. |
Other ships to consider
Royal class is the closest Princess comparison for a large ship with extensive dining and entertainment. Grand-class designs offer a more traditional layout. Choose Sphere for the particular spaces and room benefits you want, not simply because the delivery date is later.
Official deck plans
Select the deck plan for your ship and sailing date using the official links below.
Check the cabin legend, connecting doors and extra beds, then inspect the decks above and below your room. Ask the operator to confirm any essential accessibility requirements; a floor plan cannot establish whether the room and shore arrangements will meet them.
| Ship | Features and current information | Official deck-plan destination |
|---|---|---|
| Sun Princess | Sun Princess: official overview | Deck plans for Sun Princess |
| Star Princess | Star Princess: official overview | Deck plans for Star Princess |
Photograph and further reading
The photograph shows Sun Princess at the date recorded in its credit. It illustrates the vessel, not a guarantee of its current paintwork, cabins or latest refit. Original photograph and attribution; photograph license.
For the wider choice, use our Princess Cruises class comparison. Compare the actual sailing, room and trip cost through CruiseGem’s Princess Cruises page.
Your decision checklist
- Write down the ship, departure date, port times and your party’s exact cabin occupancy.
- Confirm the specific attractions, restaurants and room benefits that justify your choice.
- Save the current deck plan and check rooms, public spaces and service areas above and below your cabin.
- Compare the full trip cost, including transport, required charges and the extras you will actually use.
- Check cancellation terms and get any essential accessibility or family arrangements confirmed before payment.
Questions travelers ask
Which ships does this guide cover?
Sun Princess, Star Princess. This operating roster was checked for September 23, 2026; future additions are not counted.
Are the ships in this class identical?
No. Start with the ship comparison above, then use the individual operator page and date-appropriate deck plan. Refits, venues, room categories and deployment can differ even when the underlying design is shared.
Does a higher fare mean this is the better ship?
No. Compare the same occupancy, cabin benefits, itinerary and inclusions. A newer venue matters only if you will use it; an easier departure or better-positioned room can be more valuable.
Official sources and further reading
Sources checked September 23, 2026. Explore the original policies, destination guidance and provider information behind this article. Each description explains what you will find at the source.
- Princess Cruises fleetFleet context; future bookable ships are excluded from this operating roster.
- Sun Princess official ship informationShip features and layouts; booking-specific operation and inclusions can vary.
- Star Princess official ship informationShip features and layouts; booking-specific operation and inclusions can vary.
- Sun Princess official deck plansUse the version applicable to your sailing; linked operator resource, not a reproduced or independently surveyed plan.
- Star Princess official deck plansUse the version applicable to your sailing; linked operator resource, not a reproduced or independently surveyed plan.
- Princess 2026–2028 fleet and deck-plan brochurePrincess groups Diamond and Sapphire with Grand class; this collection separates those two as a useful design subgroup.
- Star Princess official fact sheetShip features and layouts; booking-specific operation and inclusions can vary.
- Photograph: Sun PrincessSun Princess · 2024 · Adamdl06204917 · CC0; Wikimedia thumbnail, displayed to fit the page.